Destruction of Wild CP
ronald e spears (rspears@wp-lag.mindspring.com)
Tue, 12 Nov 1996 07:46:49 -0500
Over the past several years I have been witness to an ever present doom
lurking over carnivorous plants here in Georgia. I have seen large colonies
of S. flava be bulldozed to make a little sterile pond. This was in
downtown Statesboro, GA. I have seen a nice strong colony of S. rubra
growing along a ditch be cut, sprayed with herbacide, and now the most
dangerous threat, digging up for collection.
This colony was surviving even with all the things it had going against it.
The scary thing is after warning both the DNR and The Nature Conservancy I
have seen no measures to try and protect these plants here in GA. Only S.
oreophila seems to be the primary reason for concern, with justification,
but do not these other species warrant protection also. I mean, would it
not be easier to protect them now instead of waiting until there is only one
colony left before extreme measures are taken. We growers, scientists, and
conservationist need to write our representatives, the DNR, and Conservation
societies to urge them to protect what is left. If we do not, we may find
ourselves looking at the California Condor of weedom.
Cheers,
Ronnie Spears
rspears@mindspring.com